This document discusses the regulation of respiration through nervous and chemical mechanisms. It describes the respiratory centers in the brainstem that control respiration rate and depth. One such center, the pneumotaxic center, controls the switching between inspiration and expiration by inhibiting the dorsal respiratory group. Stimulation or destruction of the pneumotaxic center impacts respiratory patterns. The document also discusses peripheral chemoreceptors that detect low oxygen and stimulate deeper breathing, as well as sleep apnea syndrome where breathing temporarily stops during sleep due to factors like airway obstruction.